The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Them, 2014.
Written and Directed by Ned Benson.
Starring James McAvoy, Jessica Chastain, Viola Davis, Nina Arianda, Bill Hader, Ciarán Hinds, William Hurt, Isabelle Huppert and Jess Weixler.
SYNOPSIS:
One couple’s story as they try to reclaim the life and love they once knew and pick up the pieces of a past that may be too far gone.
For those who prefer their romantic films to be sappy, cheesy, mushy, schmaltzy, written by Nicholas Sparks or Stephanie Meyer be warned: The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Them may not tickle your taste buds. Not because it’s a bad film by any means, far from it, but because Ned Benson’s tale of love and loss in New York may well put you off rom-coms for good, and make you reassess everything you know and love about the genre.
Somewhat strangely, Eleanor Rigby is a film that already has three versions” “Him” and “Her” are soon to be given a limited US release, and tell the same story as it is told here, but with the focus purely on both characters points of view. Starting with a young couple, Conor (McAvoy) and Eleanor (Chastain), who have just begun their romantic involvement, and are plotting an escape from a restaurant without paying the tab. Successfully negotiating their escape, embracing amongst the glow of a summer evening, they seem the picture of happiness. Flash forward some time, Eleanor is cycling across a New York bridge, disengages the bike and jumps from the bridge into the icy sea below.
To give away any more of the film’s details would negate the power of its story, but the bottom line is that Conor and Eleanor have parted, and their pain and heartache is what drives the film forward. Writer/director Benson, making his feature debut, really puts the characters, and indeed the audience through the grinders with this one, pulling no punches in his interpretations of modern love in both the real world and the film world. And while it may sound much too overbearing and raw, Benson creates a fully realised modern love story, full of real emotions and impulses (albeit with a heartbreaking undercurrent) against the sun-drenched suns and glowing night skies of New York City, with his work alongside his cameraman Christopher Blauvelt (Night Moves) and a superb score by Son Lux, a joy throughout.
But the film belongs to Chastain, showing once more both her range and her power as an actress, arguably the best in the business at this moment in time. For a long time the red-haired actress had struggled through her early years to “breakout” in Hollywood, but you wonder why it took her such an long time with the stellar work she has rewarded us with in Zero Dark Thirty and The Help, as well as the soon-to-be-released Interstellar. As the titular Rigby, Chastain is nothing short of miraculous, transfixing us with a performance that combines all the grace and poise she has shown before with a raw, sensitive portrayal of a woman who is pushed to the brink of oblivion. If there is a better female performance this year, then give them all the awards because this one will take some beating.
Ably supporting Chastain is James McAvoy, who himself is fast becoming a much bigger star, not least because he is one of the most fascinating actors working today. Working seamlessly with his on-screen partner as if they had been together for real, it is undoubtedly one of the best things the Scotsman has done so far: whilst Connor unravels at the seams as he clings desperately to his marriage, McAvoy retains his usual boyish charisma and humour to bring some lighter notes to the film. Across the board the acting is of the highest order, with the ever-brilliant Bill Hader impressing once again alongside William Hurt, Isabelle Huppert and Jess Wexler, who all play their part.
If there is a criticism of the film to be found, it’s in the length, which at just over two hours feels slightly overlong for a film of this nature. A few of the problems could stem from the “version” of the film you see: this version, the “Them” part of the three-story façade, is probably the most uniformly appealing version of the film, but while it does a good job in telling the story, it’s almost as if it’s the editors and Benson are over compensating for the fact that this is the culmination of the two strands, rather than the separate voices as they were intended. It will be interesting to see if the two separate films find their way across the pond very soon.
As it stands, “Them” is the version that many will likely see, and while it is slightly overlong and perhaps too intense and dour for some, this is still one the best pictures you will see this year, with two of the finest performances this side of awards season. Thoughtful, profound, funny, sad but ultimately uplifting, The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby is a tremendous piece of romantic drama.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie ★ ★ ★ ★
Scott Davis
Originally published October 28, 2014. Updated April 13, 2018.
